The Old Testament is filled with ugly times. Things are good in the Garden, then the human race is a hot mess. We can learn from those OT figures though.
Let’s look at five folks worth imitating, then we’ll consider a few to not.
Be Like…
David
The shepherd boy turned king from the tribe of Judah was anointed by Samuel because he had a heart like God. He cared for his sheep, he sang for the Lord, and he wanted nothing for himself.
Most people know the story of David defeating Goliath (1Sam 17) with his sling and stones. David’s faith in the Lord never wavered as he stood against the Philistine who blasphemed God. David’s heart is on fire for the Lord. Later, David shows mercy towards Saul after Saul tried to kill him (1Sam 24). David goes to great lengths to achieve peace among the tribes and unite Israel.
May we all have faithful hearts like David’s to slay our giants with what seemingly little the Lord provides. May we be filled with joy for the Lord and be merciful towards our enemies.
Moses
You’ve seen at least one version of the Ten Commandments, so you know the story. Moses chosen to free Israel from Egypt (Ex 3). He felt ill equipped for the task, but he went anyway. He was obedient to God, and persistent in his obedience as Pharoah kept denying him until the tenth plague. In the desert, Moses pleaded for the sake of the people several times. His persist intercession helped lead the people to the promised land.
Can we do the things God asks us? Do we feel ill-equipped? God doesn’t called the qualified, but qualifies the called. If we’re persistent in prayer and in working towards obeying God, we can trek through whatever desert life places before us.
Noah
Noah was the only righteous person God saw in his time (Gen 6). When God decided to flood the world and start fresh, he picked Noah to build the ark. Imagine getting those instructions and knowing you’d be criticized by everyone the entire time. “Hey Noah, what’s with the boat?” Noah did it anyway, faithful to the Lord.
We know this world is going in some crazy wrong directions, yet it’s still hard to follow what God wants. Can we be more like Noah, faithfully doing what God asks despite what others think?
Esther
Esther didn’t ask for her circumstances: lost both parents, sent to the king as concubine, became queen, poised to save her people (Est 1-10). As her uncle suggested, she was made for times such as these. She used her position and favor with the king to benefit he people. One might imagine her servants favored her as well since she probably treated them with kindness and dignity.
We can’t control our circumstances, but we can choose what to do with what we have in the time we have. Let’s be as wise and brave as Esther and use what we can for the benefit of those we love. After all, we may have been made for times such as these.
Job
We hope to never be the subject of conversation between God and the devil, but poor Job was run through the ringer (Job 1-42). Despite losing his entire family, wealth, and friends, and being struck with boils, he continued to be faithful to God. As a reward, God blessed him abundantly once again and filled his life with joy.
Job went through a great amount of suffering, and sometimes, so do we. Let’s model after Job and remain faithful to the Lord, hoping in God’s grace and mercy to pour out on us once our suffering—however great and long—is over.
Don’t Be…
Cain
Seems obvious, but hear me out. Yes, Cain murdered his brother (Gen 4); don’t commit murder. Cain was jealous. The early—really early—days were rather brash. Cain’s sin started from envy because he was jealous that God liked Abel’s offering better than his. Out of envy and spite, he lost his temper and killed his brother.
We’re all that drastic, but we can all get a little envious sometimes. Do we avoid certain people, take certain actions, or say certain words based on envy? Envy disrupts relationships, hurts families, ruins friendships, and causes strife with neighbors or coworkers. Let’s be happy for those who have, and work our own fields without envy.
Saul
Saul, anointed King over Israel, fell out of favor with the Lord because he did what the people wanted instead of what God wanted. Obsessed with what other’s thought about him, when he was instructed to kill Amalek (1Sam 15), he kept him alive until the Lord rebuked him through Samuel. When David was praised for winning in battle more than he was, Saul became jealous (1Sam 18:7-8). He didn’t like people praising David more than him. Saul spent so much time trying to win the favor of people rather than that of the Lord, that he grew in anger, bitterness, and jealousy.
It’s easy to want to please those around us. We care what others think, but we should care more about what God thinks. Are we shy about our faith? Do we put on a false front to please others? God sees what we’re doing. Do we? Let’s not get caught up in public opinion. Focus on what pleases the Lord first.
David
What? Yes, King David, but David in his bad moments. David lusted after Bathsheba (2Sam 11) and took her to his bed, getting her pregnant. Jury’s out on if she consented. He was the king. What could she do? After, he tried to cover his sin by making her husband, Uriah, lay with his wife. When Uriah wouldn’t—out of loyalty and honor for his king and comrades—David put him on the front line of battle where he would surely (and did) die. Lust, lying, conspiracy, and basically murder.
Ever mess up and try to cover it up? David messed up big time and tried to cover it up with horrible consequences. It’s bad enough to sin, but not admitting fault makes it worse. Confession is a beautiful thing. When we reconcile with others and with God, we renew our souls.
Let’s remember we’re all sinners living imperfectly in an imperfect world. While we try to navigate the messiness of life, let’s continue to lean on God, obey the Lord, and trust in his mercy and grace. Choose your role models carefully. Who would you choose or not choose?